Tonight’s show was originally scheduled to take place on 25th October but had to be postponed due to singer Becca developing bronchitis and a respiratory infection. Luckily tonight she was back on full form as the band played to a sold-out crowd at The Garage in London.
Opening proceedings were Queen Zee & The Sasstones from Liverpool who put on a loud and intense performance, commanding the attention of everyone in the room. The band’s sound was a crazy mix of punk rock with pop melodies, but it worked brilliantly. Many of the band’s songs (such as “Fly The Pink Flag”) featured a strong message of LGBTQ rights and equality, and were received with whoops and cheers from the crowd. My favourite song from their set was “Porno”, which left the incredibly catchy “… like a porno movie” lyrics going round in my head until Marmozets took to the stage.
The last time I saw Marmozets live was at a very intimate show at The Borderline back in August where they tested out some new material from their eagerly anticipated second album Knowing What You Know Now (due for release in January) and, as ever, the Yorkshire five-piece blew me away with the raw energy and ion of their live show.
Marmozets can be a difficult band to label when it comes to musical genre; their sound is alt-rock with huge hooks, technical “math-rock” guitar, and some crazy time-signatures. The band is made up of two groups of siblings; Becca, Josh and Sam MacIntyre (vocals, drums and guitar respectively), together with brothers Jack and Will Bottomley on guitar and bass. The bond between the five of them is a close one, and their love and respect for each-other shines through as clearly as the ion for the music they are playing.
Tonight the band’s set was a celebration of the old and the new; including some of their most popular tracks such as “Move Shake Hide”, “Born Young & Free” and “Captivate You” (from their widely acclaimed 2014 debut The Weird and Wonderful Marmozets), together with recently-released singles “Play” and “Habits” from the new album. The full set-list can be found below.
For me, Marmozets are one of a dying breed of younger bands who still put on an incredibly raw and engaging live show, with a ion for the music they are playing that is plain to see – no phoning it in, no heavy reliance on backing tracks… they clearly put their heart and soul into every note. They also come across as incredibly genuine and grateful.
Evidently I bloody love this band, but if my photos and review have whet your appetite I would thoroughly recommend that you check them out. Marmozets are set to return to the UK to tour in February next year. Full dates below and more info / ticket links on their website.
- 2 Feb – The Tramshed, Cardiff
- 3 Feb – Engine Rooms, Southampton
- 4 Feb – Concorde 2, Brighton
- 6 Feb – Cambridge Junction, Cambridge
- 7 Feb – ULU Live, London
- 8 Feb – Rescue Rooms, Nottingham
- 9 Feb – Riverside, Newcastle
- 11 Feb – The Leill, Sheffield
- 12 Feb – The Liquid Room, Edinburgh
Set List:
- Play
- Move Shake Hide
- Is It Horrible
- Suffocation
- Captivate You
- Particle
- Meant To Be
- Born Young & Free
- Major System Error
- Hit The Wave
- Habits
- Back To You
- Why Do You Hate Me
Knowing What You Know Now will be released on 26 January on Roadrunner Records. You can pre-order the album on a variety of formats at the Roadrunner store, electronically via all the usual places, or on Amazon.
All photos by Katie Frost Photography
Marmozets: official | facebook | twitter | instagram | youtube
Queen Zee & The Sasstones: official | facebook | twitter | instagram | youtube
